Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Is there a reliable and trustworthy test to see what nutrients you need? Also, is there a test for hormonal imbalance?

I'm 22 years old, but sometimes I get in this crazy ADHD mode where I can't focus on anything and my mind races forever. My libido also seems to be out of wack. I used to get depressed, REALLY depressed, but I figured out how to defeat depression (through sleep, exercise, eating healthy).

There are random times where all a sudden I feel calm, humble, and happy. I have low anxiety, and want to talk to people and make friends. They are rare moments, however, and I find most of the time I am in this "manic" state where all I want to do is make money and start a business.

I'd like to take a test to check out what's going on in my body. I take multivitamin, B-Vitamins, fish oil, Kelp (iodine), 2,000 IU Vitamin D. At night I take potassium, calcium, and Magnesium to get me to sleep.

Anyone have any success with testing for nutritional and/or hormonal imbalances? There seems to be a lot of mixed information out there and its hard to tell who I can trust.

flag	asked Jun 28 at 1:25 TJ 11●1

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Too many vitamins and minerals, lol? I kinda doubt your body is missing large amounts of every mineral, and every vitamin if your eating a varied paleo diet. – Jamie Aug 9 at 12:06

First thing I would suggest is run everything you eat thru cronometer. Look at how much you get there. For iodine your RDA is 150mcgs. An egg yolk has 25-50mcgs, meats 10-30mcgs per 100grams, veges 5-20mcgs mostly per 100grams, fish often over 100mcgs per 100 grams, cheese is about 25mcgs. Then add the multi, then the b-vitamins, then the minerals, and find out just how much overdosing on vitamins and minerals your getting, lol! – Jamie Aug 9 at 12:09

For reference calcium should be in about a 1:1 ratio, otherwise its imbalanced (it diet and pills). Too much minerals is toxic, and too much calcium causes calcification in your body. Potassium and sodium are in a balance too, as is copper and zinc. Too much iodine can trigger hyperthyroid, and too many fat souble vitamins can also be toxic. – Jamie Aug 9 at 12:10

I think alternative health practictioners do nutritional tests. Not sure. There are bloods you can get tested at a doctors, but they would probably refuse in your situation. Theres probably some you can get online tho... – Jamie Aug 9 at 12:13

Monte · Answer 1 · 2013-02-24 15:10:06Z UTC

If you don't test, you don't know. Period.

https://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Blood-Tests/Blood-Tests.htm

Hormone and nutrition testing can definitely open your eyes.

That being said you can do a lot of this on your own even if means you won't have absolute numbers. Just log your food for a week at cronometer or fitday or fitnesspal or one of the dozen other sites. Then average out those values and see what nutrients you tend to lack. Add food that cover your dietary shortcomings.

If you aren't exercising, exercise, if you don't get much sun...go outside. If you aren't eating paleo..eat paleo. :) If your still worried...get tested.

Seppo · Answer 2 · 2012-06-28 06:56:51Z UTC

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I can't comment on nutrition levels, but for hormone testing the saliva tests at least are deemed unreliable. Check out this article and scroll down to the point #5.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/choosing-wisely-five-things-pharmacists-and-patients-should-question/

answered Jun 28 at 6:56

Seppo
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It would seem there'd be more answers to this. How do people know they are getting the optimal nutrients? How do people know they are absorbing nutrients? I take a lot of supplements, and I'm wondering if they are needed. – TJ Jun 29 at 6:04

Perhaps I'm different, but I'm not too concerned about those things. Especially since I have no overt symptoms or health problems. – Seppo Jul 1 at 11:57

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The link, "science based medicine", sounds like it would be good, but at least that particular article is terrible. A lack of evidence for is not evidence against. I found nothing compelling: the arguments about each procedure was that it wasn't fully validated, is not mainstream, or isn't cost-effective. Well, duh, that's why people go to alternative medical practitioners: mainstream medicine is failing us. The IgG food allergy test seems truly debunked, but the article also decries IgE skin testing, which is helpful information for a patient to have. – Sara S. Aug 9 at 13:46

It's true that lack of evidence doesn't necessarily mean evidence of lack. But in this case there is evidence of lack, especially for saliva hormone testing. In this case when they say it's not been found useful or reliable they mean it has been tested and found useless. Scientists tend to be conservative with their language. No evidence often means this stuff doesn't work. – Seppo Aug 11 at 10:58

And it doesn't decry IgE testing completely. It just says that to be reliable it needs to be specific - not the battery of tests most quacks offer. As a patient one may feel the info is useful, but that doesn't mean it's correct. – Seppo Aug 11 at 10:58

Mark · Answer 3 · 2013-02-24 14:46:17Z UTC

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Personally I would get spectracell done. And if you are prone to allergies then get food allergy testing done.

answered Feb 24 at 14:46

Mark
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Gdaiva · Answer 4 · 2013-02-27 15:49:41Z UTC

I'd contact a nutritionist, they can do many tests and tell you personaly what nutrients and vitamins you need. It is not that expensive when you think about it how much time and guessing you do on the internet. Nutritional Therapy Asosiation that follows Weston Price principles is really incredible.

Test for Nutrition and Hormonal Imbalances?

4 Answers